Whatever It Takes
by MakeMeFree
Summary: Senior year just started up for the older cul-de-sac kids, but someone has changed. Edd has come back to school with a completely new look and attitude, which has fascinated Kevin. Kevin wants to understand what happened to Edd, but is he prepared for all of the feelings that are there for him to get tangled in? [Kevedd!] -Bad summary, sorry! Rated M for later content.
1. Chapter 1

Hi! So, this is my first Kevedd! I hope you enjoy it. Please leave a review to let me know how you feel about the story so far, it's very helpful! Thanks!

 **xOxOxOx**

Peach Creek High School was bustling with activity; students flooding into the halls. As usual, there was gossip and chatter echoing about the white and peach colored hallways, students standing at their lockers and discussing their summers. Kevin heaved a tired sigh and put in the combination for his locker. Summer was over, and today being the first day of senior year for the elder cul-de-sac kids. As the ginger football captain retrieved a notebook from his locker, he noticed that a hush had fallen across the hall, seemingly the entire school. Glancing around, green eyes scanned the area for the reason that had caused all of the conversation to lull into a murmur, if not silence.

The crowd somewhat parted as a boy walked through the hall, not saying a word. He kept his oceanic eyes forward, his back straight, and his mouth shut. He was wearing a white t-shirt that looked slightly strained across his chest, with a black jacket over top. He also wore nicely fitted darker wash jeans and a pair of red high-tops. Kevin stared at this boy for a long moment before something finally gave away his identity—a black beanie situated just right on his head, hiding his hair.

 _'Double Dweeb?'_ he thought in surprised, mouth slightly agape. Said boy continued walking in silence until his reached the locker that must have been his; directly to the left of Kevin. The jock looked at Double D out of the corner of his eye. It was clear that the former nerd had put on muscle, seeing as his shirt was slightly too tight and his jeans seemed to be barely containing his legs. Overall, he looked really damn good.

"Hello, Kevin." Double D finally broke the silence, pulling out an AP Physics and an AP Calculus textbook from his locker.

"Hey," was all Kevin could say before the other shut his locker and walked off to class. No eye contact, no other words spoken. Kevin scowled slightly, shutting his locker a bit loudly. After Edd entered his classroom, the hallway was abuzz with chatter once again. As Kevin walked through the crowd, he picked up bits of conversation.

 _"He really changed over the summer."_

 _"Did you hear what happened to his mom? It's so sad."_

 _"Double D is so different! He hasn't talked to anyone yet."_

Adjusting his hat on his head, Kevin entered his classroom and took a seat quietly in the second row. Somehow, he had ended up with grades high enough to take AP Physics, though it was certainly not a class he was looking forward to. He had two AP classes, physics, and history. After he situated himself in his desk, Kevin looked at the back of the head of the person sitting in front of him. Black beanie, black jacket.

 _'Great.'_ He thought, leaned his elbow on the desktop and resting his chin on his fist. He noticed that Edd had placed his notebook on the desk, one pen, and his textbook. It seemed unusual, simply because the last Kevin remembered, Edd would being an assortment of highlighters, a calculator, pens, pencils, the whole nine yards.

As the teacher began to talk about the syllabus and what to expect from the class, Kevin slowly lost his will to pay attention. He kept thinking about Edd, this new version of Edd, that was sitting in front of him. Edd's shoulders had broadened and bulked up, though not to the extent that Kevin's had. Kevin was definitely larger in mass than the other teen, however, it was quite clear that their size difference was slowly diminishing. Kevin was still taller by quite a few inches, but that was likely all he had on Edd now. He could, every now and then, smell what he assumed was Edd's shampoo; it smelled like blueberries. There was something else that Kevin felt from Edd, but he couldn't exactly put his finger on it. His demeanor was certainly different, but there was this _feeling_ he got from Edd. It was almost solemn, and lonely?

The bell ringing shocked Kevin out of his thoughts. He gathered his belongings and stood up to leave, noticing that Edd was already exiting the room. Kevin's next two classes dragged on, until the lunch bell rang; his saving grace from boredom. The football star strolled into the cafeteria, sitting down with his normal group of friends; the jocks and cheerleaders. His best friend, Nazz, sat beside him. She hadn't changed much, the biggest changes being her hair was now to her waist and her chest had filled out well. She was extremely attractive, with a very loud and ecstatic personality.

"Hey Kev! How are your classes so far?" she asked, taking a bite of an apple from her lunch tray.

"Boring as hell. I can't wait for this year to be over." He groaned, rubbing his face with his hands before looking at Nazz.

"Hey, have you seen Double Dork?" Kevin asked, his emerald eyes curious. The blonde nodded as she chewed the most recent bite of her apple.

"Yeah! He looks _so_ different! I couldn't even believe that was him today." She replied. The redhead gazed around the cafeteria, eyes searching for the new Edd. To his disdain however, Edd was nowhere to be seen. He easily spotted the other Ed's; Eddy's green hair sticking up in all directions, loudly talking to big Ed, who had grown quite a bit. Everyone seemed a little different after the summer. Ed was wear an ROTC uniform that suited him well, and Eddy had not tried to scam anyone (yet).

"What happened to the dork over summer?" Kevin asked, trying not to sound overly interested.

"You didn't hear? His mother committed suicide at the end of junior year." Nazz spoke softly, her eyes sad. Kevin's eyes widened in shock, unable to reply. He had always heard how perfect and well-off Edd and his family were, he had never seen or heard anything to imply otherwise. Edd's mother passing away must have been a surprise to everyone. Suddenly, Kevin stood from his seat at the table.

"I'm gonna go find him." He decided aloud, leaving the table as Nazz waved goodbye to him. He wondered out of the cafeteria, heading down the hallway his locker was in. He had not seen the beanie-wearing boy go into any rooms, and this school was not exactly small.

 _'How the hell am I gonna find him? I'm such an idiot.'_ Kevin sighed to himself. Why did he even want to find the nerd? None of this was any of his business. As Kevin ascended the flight of stairs at the far end of the hallway, he could distantly hear something that sounded like soft music. As he continued up and turning down the hallway, Kevin headed to the room that he knew was the band room. The music grew louder as he approached, a truly beautiful sound filling his ears. Peeking into the window of the door, Kevin could see Double D standing, alone, in the room. He held a violin on his shoulder, and was playing. His eyes were closed, his hands working seemingly on their own accord, producing a hauntingly marvelous melody. Kevin lingered for a moment, listening to the musical abilities of the nerd he used to beat up. A strange feeling crawled up Kevin's spine, a nervous knot settling in his stomach. He could feel his cheeks heating up slightly, and immediately moved out of view from the window. As the music slowly faded away, Kevin rushed back to the staircase and quickly descended as the bell for class rang.

What was this feeling? He couldn't put it into words. It was almost like intrigue, maybe fascination? He wanted to listen to that beautiful instrument again. He enjoyed the look on Edd's face as he played; serene and soft. The way his body was positioned made it easier for Kevin to imagine the layer of muscle that was on the previously thin boy. He wanted to hear more, to know more about this boy. But why? Why was Double Dork, the brains of the Ed's, now so fascinating?

Kevin slouched in his seat in his AP history class, watching other students file in. For a second, he felt like his heart stopped, as Edd entered the room and sat in the desk immediately in front of Kevin. Frowning as his cheeks heated up, Kevin leaned back heavily in his chair. Did he…like Edd? No, that's ridiculous. He was still just some nerd, with a new outfit. The ginger crossed his arms over his chest, his mind a jumbled mess all class.

He needed to figure Edd out. He needed to know what changed. For the rest of the day, Kevin attempted to watch Edd from a distance. He was frustrated, not knowing exactly what was different. Sure, there were plenty of physical differences, but there was something more.

Leaving school gave Kevin a smile that hadn't shown up all day; he was free for the rest of the day. Football practice didn't start until the next week, and he had no homework. As he climbed onto his motorcycle, Kevin noticed his newfound fascination walking down the sidewalk, textbooks in hand. He couldn't help but frown, watching the boy walk alone toward his home; which was coincidentally across the street from Kevin.

 _'Maybe I'll talk to him tomorrow.'_ The ginger decided as he started up his bike, heading off in the direction of his house. When he passed Double D, he swore that for just a second, he heard someone singing, in an astounding voice.

" _What is wrong with me?"_

 **xOxOxOx**

The song that is referenced is How Far I'll Go from Moana


	2. Chapter 2

Sorry this chapter is a little shorter and choppier than I planned! Please enjoy!

xXxXxXxXx

Kevin sat up lazily in his bed, eyes heavy from sleep. He yawned and stretched his arms high above his head, muscles quivering as he stretched. Soft sunlight was coming into his room from the window, the clock on his wall reading 7:00am. Swinging his legs over the side of his bed, the ginger stood up with a tired grunt. He scratched his head as he glanced over at his closet, mentally picking out his clothes for the day. As he moved toward his window to open it and allow the fresh air to come in, he paused as he noticed that he could see someone in the window across the street. Kevin often forgot that Edd was across the street from him, and that their windows were exactly parallel to one another. He watched for a moment as Edd was tugging a light blue t-shirt on, admiring the way his body had changed.

Briefly looking away, Kevin went to tug on his black joggers and a white t-shirt, slipping his green zip-up jacket on as well. When he turned back to the window, his eyebrows knitted together in mild confusion. A man was standing with Edd now, dressed in what seemed to only be boxers and a white bathrobe. They were talking, from what Kevin could tell.

' _Must be the Dweeb's dad.'_ Kevin thought casually. He reached down to his desk and grabbed his key for his bike. Upon glancing back at the window, he saw that whatever the conversion had been, it had quickly escalated to shouting. Edd was furiously speaking, hands moving as he let out whatever seemed to be pent up inside of him. Edd's father seemed to be doing the same, shouting and using his hands while he spoke.

A small sadness overcame Kevin as he watched them. Everyone always assumed that Double D had a perfect family and life; he was exceptionally intelligent, lived in a fairly nice home, and his parents always seemed to be smiling and happy when they were home. Who knew that the case here was the opposite? Shutting his window, Kevin gave one more saddened glance at the Vincent home, before he headed downstairs.

"Bye mom, bye dad," he called to the kitchen. His parents were almost always around, only being gone when they went to work.

"Bye sweetie, I'll see you after school!" his mother waved happily, smiling.

"Have a good day, Kev." His dad answered, though he did not look up from the newspaper he was reading. Kevin smiled softly to himself.

' _I guess I'm lucky to have them.'_ He thought. As he exited his home, Kevin went to his bike in the driveway and grabbed his helmet. At that moment, Edd exited his home as well. They shared a stare for a moment, before Edd began walking off toward school. Kevin could hear him singing as he walked.

" _I wanna see the world,_

 _I wanna sail the ocean._

 _I want to know what it feels like to never come back again,"_ Edd sang softly, hands in his pockets, and gaze turned up to the sky. Kevin hesitated for a moment, listening to Edd sing before the roar of his motorcycle coming to life drowned out the song.

xXxXxXx

Kevin walked lazily into school, greeting his friends with his typical grin and waving. As he strolled down the hall, he spotted three of his football teammates standing near his locker, more precisely, near Double D's locker. As he got closer, he could hear their voices.

"Hey nerd, what are you listening to?" one of them asked harshly, snatching Edd's iPod from his hands.

"Return that to me at once!" Edd snapped, reaching for his device. The football player laughed, holding it away from Edd while the other two chuckled, using their intimidating presences to deter Edd from going after his iPod.

"Hey guys, what're you doing?" Kevin asked, walking up to them. The three turned toward their captain, looking a bit sheepish.

"Nothin' Kev, just seeing what this dork is listening to." The one that took the iPod replied. Kevin held out his hand, immediately receiving the iPod. Looking down to see the title of the song, he saw that it simply said "Unknown." Kevin looked at Edd, who's blue eyes were begging for him to return it. The ginger took one of the earbuds and held it to his ear, listening for a moment. Through the earbuds, Kevin heard a beautiful violin playing, a song that sounded familiar to Kevin.

"What is it Kev?" one of the other players asked, clearly hoping it was something embarrassing.

"Nothing good." Kevin replied offhandedly, handing the iPod back to the non-football player. The three boys groaned in disappointment, walking off after Kevin turned to his locker.

"Thank you, Kevin." Edd said quietly, tucking his iPod safely inside of his pocket after turning it off.

"Don't thank me. What are you listening to anyway?" Kevin asked, shutting his locker, looking at the other boy. Kevin watched a sad smile spread over Edd's lips as he looked up at the jock.

"My mother." He replied before quietly shutting his locker and walking to their first class. Kevin frowned slightly, feeling a small twinge of regret in his chest.

' _I'll have to remember to tell the guys that the dork's iPod is off limits.'_ He thought as he trailed behind Edd.

xXxXxXxXx

The entire day dragged on, absolutely nothing happening during any of his classes. Kevin sighed in frustration, staring at the clock that informed him there were only five minutes of class left. As he sat there, he tried to think of a way to get Edd to talk to him. He wanted to ask him about the summer and what happened. He wanted to know if the dork was okay. These interests had been growing since the previous day, and now it was all Kevin could think about. When the bell rang, Kevin grabbed his stuff and immediately headed out of the classroom. He shoved his belongings in his locker and headed outside to his bike. As he exited the school, he glanced around for the beanie-wearing boy he had grown up with.

Something hit Kevin's arm, causing him to abruptly turn. He was about to snap at the person behind him, about to tell them to watch where they were going, when he realized it was Edd; exactly the person he was looking for.

"My apologies Kevin, I was not watching where I was walking." Edd apologized, looking down slightly.

"Don't sweat it. Hey, Double D?" the ginger asked, causing Edd to look up in confusion. Kevin never called him by that name.

"Yes, Kevin?" Edd replied, head tilted slightly and blue eyes attentive.

' _Damn…that's actually…kind of cute.'_ Kevin felt a light blush stain his freckled cheeks. He scratched the back of his head, suddenly slightly nervous.

"Do you, uh… Maybe want to hang out sometime?" he asked, looking away slightly. Edd did not answer for a long moment, his eyebrows knitted together.

"I mean, like to study. You've always been really good in school, and I'm already behind on the second day." Kevin added quickly, looking back at the slightly shorter boy. A small smile graced Edd's face, making Kevin's heart beat a bit faster.

"Sure, Kevin. You are more than welcome at my house. However, if you prefer, we can study elsewhere. When would you like to start?" Edd asked politely. He was never one to turn down a friend asking for study help.

"Would tonight be okay? Around 6? I don't have practice today." The other replied. Edd nodded in agreement, smiling more at his old bully.

"Sounds excellent. Where would you prefer to study?" the dork asked. The two agreed on Edd's house, since Kevin's dad would likely be watching football and shouting at the television. As they parted ways, Kevin watched Edd for a moment, straining to listen. He knew Edd would start singing, and he wanted to hear that voice again before his motorcycle drowned out the sound. He listened for only a couple lines of the song, but smiled to himself nonetheless. He couldn't help it, he knew what was happening to himself. All he wanted to do was be near that damn dork. But he wasn't complaining, not anymore. Kevin had always known he was attracted to both genders, but this was the first time a boy made him feel this way.

" _To what do I owe this gift, my friend?_

 _My life, my love, my soul?"_

xXxXxXxXx

The song at the beginning is Never Come Back Again by Austin Plaine and at the end is Hide by Creed :) I don't own either ;P


	3. Chapter 3

Kevin paced around his bedroom, biting his nails out of anxious habit. Every now and then he glanced out his window, seeing Double D in his own room. Both of their windows were open, allow Kevin to hear music very faintly coming from the other's home. Kevin assumed it was music from a stereo, as it did not sound like Edd; although Kevin has only ever heard small bits of Edd's singing. Watching for a moment, Kevin saw Edd pause in front of his window, back turned toward Kevin. He appeared to be thinking, standing with his hands on his slender hips and his head slightly tilted to the side.

The ginger couldn't help the smile that was spreading across his face. However, he stopped it and turned it into a frown.

' _Why the hell do I feel like this all of a sudden? Ugh,'_ he thought in frustration. But then again, he felt as though he could not help it. The smile returned as Edd seemed to exasperatedly raise up his arms and fuss with his beanie. The ginger sighed, looking over at his clock and seeing that it read 5:45pm.

' _I should head over now. 15 minutes…'_ he took a big breath, grabbing his backpack and picking up his physics textbook from his desk and heading to the door. As he walked down his stairs, he heard his name called from the kitchen.

"Yeah, mom?" he replied, walking in. She smiled, her freckled cheeks wrinkling slightly when she did. Her green eyes were identical to her son's, bright and happy.

"Behave at Edd's, okay? And let him know he's welcome to come here to study too." She said to him sweetly. Kevin smiled wide, nodding.

"Okay, I will. Thanks," Kevin answered. His mother winked at him, making his cheeks burn slightly. With a knowing smile and giggle, his mother returned to cooking. Kevin laughed lightly at himself, rubbing the back of his head in embarrassment before exiting the kitchen. His father looked over at him from the couch, smiling much the way his mother had.

"Don't be out too late, Kev." He said simply.

"I won't, see ya in a few hours." Kevin replied, the burn in his cheeks growing hotter. He left his house, heading across the street, forgetting the goofy smile that was glued to his face.

xXxXxXxXx

Edd looked at the clock in his bedroom, sighing at the fact that the time was 5:45pm, fifteen minutes before Kevin would be there. Edd quietly exited his room, peering down the stairs and seeing his father's shadow in the living room. Listening for a moment, the sound of soft snoring reached his ears, along with the sounds of the television. He tiptoed down the stairs, his bare feet making very little noise. Double D walked toward his front door, eyes locked on his sleeping father the whole time.

William Vincent was a tall man with a well-built physique. His parents had always been big on nutrition and health, which is why Edd had gained a considerable amount of mass over the summer. His father had stubble covering his cheeks and chin, his thick black hair appeared dirty and ruffled lazily. The sleeping man simply wore a white bathrobe and his boxers, a blanket laying across his lap, though it was beginning to fall to the floor. The sight of his father like this made Edd sad; he used to be such an active, hardworking man. Now he was reduced to a lonely, depressed man that could not bring himself to do much more than sit around the house.

Double D silently opened his front door, stepping outside, and seeing Kevin walking up his driveway.

"Greetings Kevin. Please do be quiet until we get to my room, my father is sleeping." The blue-eyed boy said calmly, earning a nod and small smile from the ginger. They entered the house together, Edd instructing Kevin silently to remove his shoes as he closed the front door. As Edd was directed Kevin up the stairs, he paused when he noticed his father was no longer snoring.

"Eddward?" a gruff voice called, a coughing fit following. Edd looked up at Kevin, who had stopped ascending the stairs. The smaller teen held a finger to his lips briefly to tell Kevin to be quiet. Kevin pouted slightly, his green eyes confused and a bit frustrated. Edd went back down the stairs, Kevin watching him stand in the entrance to the living room.

"Yes father?" he asked, not moving from where he stood.

"Is someone else here?" he asked, Kevin hearing him stand up from the couch. Edd nodded and glanced over at Kevin before back at his father.

"Yes, Kevin has come to study with me." Edd replied flatly. Kevin did not hear any reply, just watched Edd turn and head up the stairs.

"Everything okay?" Kevin asked, now following the nerd up the stairs.

"Of course. Now, what would you like to start with?" Edd asked, guiding Kevin into his room. Kevin followed Edd, admiring the photographs on the walls of the staircase. He saw multiple photos of Edd as a child, and other photos of his parents. He noticed however, that the only photos of the family as a whole were those kinds of prearranged photos, like the ones families take for Christmas cards. Upon entering the dork's room, Kevin was amazed at how clean it was.

Edd no longer labeled every object in his room, however, every was compulsively clean and organized.

"Uh, can we start with physics?" he asked, standing almost uncomfortably in the middle of the room.

"Oh, absolutely!" Edd said excitedly, his mood seeming to lift.

"You're…excited about physics?" Kevin looked appalled. Eddward blushed darkly in embarrassment, immediately turning to grab his textbook and inviting Kevin to sit on his bed. Edd sat beside him, opening his book to the first chapter.

"W-well, I-I find it f-fascinating," Edd stuttered; something Kevin hadn't heard since they were children.

"Whatever you say, Double Dork." Kevin teased, opening his book as well. The other boy pouted at the nickname, but made no correction. Edd began to meticulously explain the first couple concepts, going into detail and finding ways to help Kevin best understand the concepts.

After they finished the first three, Kevin shut his book and exhaustedly laid back on the bed.

"Ugh, this stuff is _so_ boring! It makes my head hurt." The ginger groaned, rubbing his eyes and head. Edd smiled slightly, gently closing his textbook and setting it down on his bed.

"Well, we can be done for tonight. It's already almost 8 o'clock." Edd suggested, looking over at Kevin. Seeing his old bully, laying on _his_ bed, was an interesting sight. The dork quietly admired Kevin's body and face, eyes tracing over the lines of his shirt, and his facial features.

"It's still early. Waddaya say we watch a movie as a reward for me paying attention?" Kevin grinned, sitting up. Edd's eyebrows knitted together, confusion in his eyes.

"We only have one television, and my father is downstairs." Edd replied, earning a pout from the jock.

"We can go to my place. My mom made dinner, and she said you're welcome over." Kevin suggested, eyes brightening. Edd's disposition changed to one of nervousness but also curiosity.

"U-Uhm, a-are you s-sure that's a-accept-table?" he stuttered, anxiously rubbing his arm.

"Of course! Let's go," Kevin abruptly stood up, nearly bouncing up and down in anticipation of Edd's answer.

' _Oh dear, what do I do? Why is he acting this way? It's so strange for him to be so kind. But, it is nice. Maybe he's changed. Maybe this is his way of apologizing.'_ Edd considered quietly, before standing up and smiling.

"Okay, Kevin. Lead the way." He answered. Kevin punched the air in victory, a giant grin on his face.

"Alright!" he cheered, grabbing his things and heading out of the room.

They quietly headed down the stairs, making sure not to disturb Edd's father, who had fallen back asleep on the couch. Once outside, they began their short walk across the street.

"Edd?" Kevin asked, looking down slightly at the other. Edd looked up in response, eyebrows raised.

"I hear you singing sometimes… Can I hear a whole song?" Kevin asked, immediately regretting it as Edd's face flushed and his eyes seemed more anxious than ever.

"Y-You do? O-Oh dear, no, I-I don't t-think I-I could." He replied quickly, tugging his beanie down over his eyes in an attempt to hide.

"Nah man, it's all good. I get it," Kevin answered kindly, smiling as Edd peeked out from under his head. The two made it to the Barr household's front door, and a strange feeling overcame Edd.

Tonight was going to be a good night. He could feel it. Tonight, maybe, just maybe, Edd could go to sleep happy.

xXxXxXxXx

A/N:

Hi guys! So this chapter is a little choppy and I'm not too happy with it. The next one will be a continuation, so it will take place when they get into Kevin's house. It will be better than this one! Haha, but I hope you enjoyed this. Sorry it took so long to update.

Until next time!


	4. Chapter 4

Edd stood behind Kevin as the redhead opened his front door, watching with a small smile. Warm light came from inside, likely from the kitchen where Edd could see Kevin's mother cleaning up from whatever dinner she and her husband had eaten.

"Oh, Kevin, you're home!" his mother's voice rang out lovingly. Kevin grinned and opened the door wider to reveal Edd to his mother, who smiled shyly.

"I brought Double D over to watch tv. That okay, mom?" Kevin's mother nodded in approval, her smile welcoming. Kevin stepped inside his home, and as Edd was about to enter and greet the other boy's mother, his phone buzzed in his pocket.

"Pardon me, Kevin." He quickly excused himself as he pulled his cellphone out and read the text message he had received.

 **From: Father**

 **Go to the Carson's and pick up my medication**.

Edd felt everything in his body deflate. The excitement, nervousness, and joy he had initially felt when he got to Kevin's was completely gone and replaced by the same nothingness he now felt was normal.

"Everything okay, Double D?" Kevin asked, waiting inside the doorway. Edd looked up at Kevin, forcing a small smile to make an appearance on his face. For a moment, their eyes met and Kevin thought he could see the sadness and regret beginning to fill Edd's.

"Yes, Kevin. However, I regret to inform you that I have an errand to run and I cannot stay to watch television with you. I am sorry," Edd replied, his voice soft. The redhead was visibly upset by the dork's sudden change in attitude and plans, though he shrugged it off with a smile.

"No big deal, dork. I'll see ya at school." Kevin said calmly, his green eyes still locked with Edd's. For a moment, Edd considered ignoring the message ad just staying with Kevin, but he suddenly received another, followed by another. Kevin raised his eyebrows, looking down at Edd's phone.

"Wow, popular, huh?" he joked, trying to get a smile. Edd did not reply, simply smiled once more before waving goodbye and walking back down the driveway. Kevin leaned against the door frame, arms crossed over his broad chest. He watched Edd, curious as to what this sudden errand was at this hour. Sighing and shutting the door, the ginger turned and faced his mother, who simply shrugged with a smile.

"Must be important if he had to leave so soon. Let him know he is welcome back anytime." She said kindly, making Kevin smile once more.

"Thanks mom. I'm goin' upstairs." Kevin answered, walking up the stairs to his bedroom. From his window, he could still see Edd walking down the sidewalk, heading to what Kevin remembered was Eddy Carson's house. The two used to be best friends, along with Big Ed, but nowadays Kevin did not see the three together. In a moment, Edd disappeared into Eddy's house and ended Kevin's ability to see him. With a small grunt of frustration, Kevin flopped down onto his bed and covered his eyes with his arm. He could hear the wind howling outside his window, and a distant rumble of thunder in the sky.

' _Hopefully the dork gets home before it rains,'_

 **xOxOxOx**

"Yo Double D, how can I help you?" Eddy asked as his old friend stepped into his house. Almost all of the lights were off, leading Edd to the assumption that everyone was asleep. Edd looked at his shorter friend, an empty smile on his face.

"Father sent me over." He replied shortly, earning a small groan from Eddy.

"You know I can't keep doing this, Edd. You're gonna have to find another plug, I'm at the end of my game." Eddy replied, turning away from Double D and heading to his bedroom. Edd followed, sighing softly.

"I know, Eddy." He answered in a small voice. When they got to Eddy's room, Double D noticed that it was much cleaner than it used to be, and much more simple. Eddy went to his dresser and riffled around in a drawer until he pulled out a small silver box.

"We should hang out again sometime, with Lumpy too. You know, we haven't seen you much since…" Eddy began, his voice far gentler than normal.

"Yes, I think that would be a fine idea." Edd smiled, this time a genuine smile. After his mother's death, Edd secluded himself from his friends. His only encounter with them was with Eddy when his father needed his "medicine." There was never conversation, never time to hang out. It was always go to Eddy's, get what he needed, and go home. It had been that way since his mother passed. Edd thought it would always be this way.

"You know we don't hate ya, even though you haven't talked to us. It's not the same without you." Eddy added, handing the box to his friend.

"I really never thought that I would hear such sincere words from you, of all people." Edd joked, a small chuckle following his words. Eddy smiled, then the smile turned into a devious grin.

"We should definitely go out with Ed soon. Alcohol is way funner than _that_." Eddy gestured toward the box.

"Funner is not a word, Eddy."

"You haven't really changed, Double D." The boys smiled briefly at each other before Edd went to leave, Eddy showing him out and closing the door behind him. It was like a switch had been turned on as soon as Edd stepped outside; rain began to come down hard, thunder rolling in the sky.

' _Just my luck,'_ Edd groaned and tucked the box Eddy had given him inside his shirt. With his head down, he began his trek back over to his house, only seven blocks down but far enough to get thoroughly drenched on his way.

" _I feel it's gonna rain like this for days_ _  
_ _So let it rain down and wash everything away_ _  
_ _I hope that tomorrow the sun will shine_ _  
_ _With every tomorrow comes another life"_

Edd sang as he walked, reaching his house in the middle of the song and abruptly stopping as to not alert his father immediately that he was home. Edd turned and looked up at Kevin's window, seeing that the light was still on but not seeing the boy himself. He looked back at his door, pushed it open, and went inside. He was met with darkness, except for the television that was still on with his father glued to his chair and asleep once again. This time a bottle of beer in his hand, and an empty one on the floor. Double D took off his shoes and quickly went up the stairs to his room to change into something dry. He discarded his wet garments into his hamper, and pulled on just a pair of black sweatpants. He even threw his beanie in the hamper, allowing his black hair to fall into his eyes.

Still holding onto the box, Edd opened it and counted the vials of brown liquid that it enclosed.

' _There are ten vials, so that'll probably last him a week and a half…'_ he tried to do the math in his head, but it always varied. With a shaking hand, Edd removed a single vial, and placed in inside of his desk drawer, which also contained an assortment of seemingly random items; a spoon, tin foil, a lighter, needles, and the plastic portion of a syringe. Edd laughed softly at himself, looking at the cliché set of items.

"We've really gotten ourselves into some bad shit, haven't we, Father?" he said quietly to himself. The teen turned away from his desk, box in hand, and headed down the stairs. Without waking his father, he placed the box on the coffee table in front of the chair, and then quickly went back to his room. Edd sat on his bed, unable to get himself to lay down. His phone buzzed on the bed next to him, making him jump slightly.

 **From: Kevin**

 **Did your errand go okay?**

Eddward sighed, looking up through his window to see Kevin sitting in his desk chair, probably messing around on his computer.

 **To Kevin:**

 **Yes, indeed. I apologize for having to leave.**

A reply came immediately:

 **From: Kevin**

 **What'd you have to do?**

Edd looked up, and this time Kevin was also looking at him. It was hard to tell because of the distance, but Edd was sure he could see some skepticism on Kevin's face.

 **To: Kevin**

 **I had to pick a few things up from Eddy's for my Father.**

Kevin read the message, a pout playing at his mouth. He could feel that something was wrong, but he couldn't quite put his finger on it. When Kevin looked up, he noticed that Edd's lights were off and he could no longer see the other teenager.

 **To: Double Dork**

 **You goin' to bed already?**

Kevin waited for a reply, since the first few seemed to be almost immediate. He waited for a while, moving to his bed and turning off his lights. Minutes went by, then half an hour, then an hour. He sighed and set his phone down beside his pillow. Just as he closed his eyes, Kevin received a text message.

 **From: Double Dork**

 **Kevin, thank you for attempting to be my friend. Even if it was not real, it was nice. I am sorry.**

Kevin read the text, confusion clouding his mind. He quickly responded, asking what the dork meant and why he was sorry, but all he got in return was a four word text.

 ** _I am so sorry._**

 **xOxOxOx**

A/N: Goodness I need to quit taking such long breaks. I'm so sorry! Hopefully I'll be back to finish this and some other stories up! But, I hope you enjoyed this one, and as (kind of) requested, there was a little interaction between Edd and Eddy. I will delve deeper into the Ed's friendship and whatnot in later chapters.


	5. Chapter 5

Kevin groaned at the sound of his alarm blaring beside his bed, sunlight filtering in through his window and onto his face. He lifted a hand and lazily slapped the "off" button on his alarm, rolling onto his bed and rubbing his eyes. With a yawn, the ginger sat up and glanced over at his window, peering across the street to see that Double D's room was still dark; no lights on at all. With a small shrug to himself, Kevin got out of his bed and strolled over to his closet, picking out his clothes for the day. He pulled on black joggers and a grey sweater that said "Peach Creek High" in white letters on the front. Glancing back at the window, he frowned as Double D's lights still weren't on.

' _Maybe he left already.'_ Kevin reasoned, knowing the smartest of the Ed's would never miss school. Slipping on his black Adidas shoes, the football player grabbed his backpack and gym bag from his desk. Practice tonight meant that he would not get home until around 9:00pm, which means no chance to study with Edd.

' _Why am I so concerned about being around him? God damn, it's getting annoying.'_ Kevin scowled to himself. He headed down the stairs, greeting his mother as he walked into the kitchen. She gave him a hug and smiled.

"Practice tonight, honey?" she asked, retrieving the keys for Kevin's motorcycle from the counter and handing them to the teenager.

"Yep, I'll be home around 9 but don't wait up, 'kay?" he replied, smiling and taking the keys. His mother gave a small laugh and nodded, waving goodbye to her son as he went to the door and grabbed his helmet from the table near the front door. He left the house, locking the door behind him and went to his bike, the sun warm on his face but a slight cool to the air. Winter was slowly coming, which was Kevin's favorite time of the year. Normally he got far too warm in the summer and spring months, but autumn and winter were perfect.

Kevin slung his gym back over his shoulder, straddling his motorcycle and putting the keys in the ignition. The engine roared to life, giving Kevin some satisfaction as he spent a lot of time on his bike. Pulling his helmet on, Kevin gave one last look toward Double D's house before pulling out of his driveway and speeding down the road toward school.

 **xOxOxOx**

Kevin shoved his gym bag in his locker, two other football players standing near him and chatting about the practice they were going to have later that day.

"Coach said it's gonna be straight strength training today. Bro, it's gonna be rad," the blonde to Kevin's left said excitedly. The other, a stocky blue haired boy, nodded in agreement.

"Yeah man, it's gonna be fun. Yo Kev, how much you squat now?" he asked as Kevin turned toward them to begin walking to class.

"380, but I can hit 400." The football captain replied, earning raised eyebrows and open mouths from the other two. He grinned and began walking to his first class, his teammates following suit, however going into the room before his own class. The ginger took his seat in the second row of the class, leaning back in his seat and crossing his arms over his chest. There was two minutes before the bell would ring to signal the start of the school day, and it was then that Kevin noticed. Edd was not sitting in front of him.

The bell rang and on cue, the teacher began to lecture about some physics theory that Kevin could not wrap his head around. He pulled his phone out of his pocket, setting it on his thigh to look at the screen. Unlocking it with one hand, he discreetly sent a quick text to Edd.

 **To: Double Dork**

 **Where r u?**

Locking the screen, Kevin turned his eyes back toward the teacher and attempted to follow what the teacher was talking about. His thoughts intruded, however, on his attempt to focus.

' _Where is Double D? He never misses school.'_ The football player thought, beginning to tap his foot impatiently. The class went on for what seemed like a lifetime before the bell rang. Kevin tucked his phone in his pocket and stood up, backpack in hand. He quietly walked out of class, looking down the hallway at his locker, beside Double D's. The was still no sign of the dork, which made Kevin's unease grow. He walked down the hall toward his next class, thoughts racing, until he inadvertently bumped into a smaller boy.

"Hey, Shovelchin, watch it!" a familiar voice snapped.

"Eddy, that wasn't very nice." A slower voice added. Kevin looked at the boys who were speaking to him, a scowl making its way onto his face.

"Shut up Eddy. Have you guys seen Double Dweeb?" he demanded, green eyes going between Eddy and Ed. The Ed's looked at each other, briefly sharing a concerned look before turning back to Kevin.

"Double D isn't at school?" Ed asked, scratching his head and then adjusting his ROTC cap. Kevin shook his head, digging his phone out of his pocket to check his messages.

"Well, how the hell should we know? It's not like we're his babysitters. C'mon Lumpy, let's get to class." Eddy spat, grabbing Ed by the arm and hauling him off to their next class.

"Bye Kevin!" Ed shouted, waving, before walking with Eddy. The ginger watched them leave, his stomach beginning to turn at the fact that he still had not received a text message from Edd, and the fact that the dork's friends did not know where he was. Grumbling to himself under his breath, Kevin went to his next class, though he found it impossible to focus.

' _Where the fuck is Double D?'_

 **xOxOxOx**

Everything was quiet and warm in Edd's room, no sounds coming from anywhere in the house, and only sunlight coming in through the window. Said boy lay on his bed, staring up at the ceiling calmly. He tried to get his body to move, but it felt like an invisible force was keeping him glued to the bed. It was not unpleasant; more like the sensation of a warm blanket being wrapped firmly around him. Slowly turning his gaze to his nightstand, Edd looked at the objects responsible for his tired yet calm feeling. He knew this could last a few hours. He knew he should not have done it. But he needed it. It was an escape. An escape from all of the terrible thoughts in his head, from the terrible reality of his mother's death and father's downhill spiral. With a deep, long sigh Edd closed his eyes. He distantly heard his phone vibrate with a text message, but he could not bring himself to reach for it. Instead, he drifted off into the dark silence, allowing sleeping to overcome him. Before his consciousness faded away, he could see Kevin's face, smiling and warm. He internally smiled, drifting away into sleep.

' _I am so sorry, Kevin.'_


End file.
